Maya Angelou Justice

In a clashing world filled with disharmony between the Western and Muslim cultures seems to filled with fear, and it is not a new phenonenom. Living with this fear, distrust, and hatred becomes challenging with hardships for everyday life in America. Today America makes up the majority of Muslim Americans and it is very diverse. Along with diversity Islam is the fastest growing religion, yet it is misunderstood. There is a long history for Muslims that dates back to the founding of the republic. Some were slaves, while others came from the Ottoman Empire and worked on the farmlands or as peddlers. There are nearly five million Muslims presently living in America. To be a Muslim means more than being an individual. Islam is a complete way of life. Muslim Americans are faced with everyday struggles about life in America, which includes code of ethics, Muslim teens being raised , and living with fear post- 9/11(media, stereotypes, and discrimination).

There is a basic Islamic code of everyday conduct which includes three main concepts: hijab, halal, and hilal. The word hijab means modesty and this concept applies to both females and males. Halal means rejecting anything containing or contaminated with the prohibition of drinking, swearing, eating of pork, and other actions as well. Haram means not acceptable or permissible in other words what is not haram is in fact halal. Hilal is the new crescent that appears on many Muslim nations‟ flags; it is also known as the sighting of the new moon (Ba-Yunus and Kone, 141-146). Looking at Western Islamic culture seems to be divided into two components those who practice their religion strictly and those who adapt and create ways to fit into a different culture, but not forgetting who they are. Although, this adaptation or way of life may seem easy for some Muslim Americans it creates difficulty for others. Of course, Muslims are faced with...